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Echinacea purpurea cultivars Part I

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The best Echinacea cultivars for sale today are the E. purpurea cultivars. There are too many to list in a single article so this article series breaks them up alphabetically. E. purpurea are the hardiest and most adaptable of all of the Echinacea, and they are great-as long as you like purple.

Echinacea purpurea ‘Alba’: White flowered form of the purple coneflower (Sun to light shade, Zone 3-8)

Echinacea purpurea ‘Avalanche’ PP 18,597: The best compact, single white-flowered coneflower in our trials. This Arie Bloom hybrid makes a tight clump, adorned in summer with 20″ spikes of large, white, horizontally-held petals…quite nice! (Zone 4-9)

Echinacea purpurea ‘Bright Star’ (syn: Echinacea purpurea ‘Leuchstern’): This superb seed strain of our native coneflower is a bit taller than most (to 3-4′) and has a slightly larger and more horizontally held rosy purple petals. The small winter rosettes give rise in mid summer to see thru spikes of large pinkish daisies…great for naturalizing! (Zone 3-8)

Echinacea purpurea ‘Cotton Candy’ PPAF: Large, pink, pompon flowers.

Echinacea purpurea ‘Crimson Star’: Crimson-lavender petals.

Echinacea purpurea ‘Cygnet White’: This is a new and outstanding dwarf, white flowered selection of the 1998 Perennial Plant of the Year. In midsummer, the small rosettes of foliage send up flowering stems that are topped with stunning white coneflowers… best when used in a mass planting or blended into a perennial border. (Sun to light shade, Zone 3-8)

Echinacea purpurea ‘Fatal Attraction’ PP 18,429: This new selection of our US native Echinacea purpurea is from Piet Oudolf’s famed garden in Holland. Echinacea ‘Fatal Attraction’ is unique because of the 26″ tall sturdy wine black stems that hold the intense pink flowers…a favorite of garden visitors. Flowering begins in late June…be patient. (Zone 3-9)

Echinacea purpurea ‘Fragrant Angel’ PP 16,054, PVR: This sturdy new coneflower from Terra Nova Nurseries is the white counterpart of Echinacea ‘Ruby Giant’ and the best white coneflower we have ever grown. The giant 4-5″ heads of pure white petals, around a contrasting orange cone, are also deliciously fragrant. Since these are clonally reproduced, each plant is identical for a more uniform planting. (Zone 3-9)

Echinacea purpurea ‘Green Envy’: When Mark Veeder first showed me a photo of his new Echinacea purpurea seedling, I thought for sure this was an April Fool’s Photoshop TM creation. Only after growing and photographing the plant myself, can I say for sure, it is truly this unique. The 20″ tall stems are topped, starting in mid-June, with large 4.5″ wide flowers composed of a dark cone with a green center. Surrounding the cone, are long petals that are pink toward the cone changing to lime-green toward the downward recurving tips. Echinacea ‘Green Envy’ is so weird, gardeners will either love or hate it…we love it! (Zone 4-9)

Echinacea purpurea ‘Kim’s Knee High’ PP 12,242: From Tony’s college classmate Kim Hawks, former owner of Niche Gardens, comes a new dwarf selection of the wonderful native purple coneflower. This compact selection is the first coneflower to be vegetatively propagated, ensuring that every plant is identical…no seed-grown variation as long as you remove the old seed heads. Starting in mid-June (NC), each flower head has rigidly reflexed, rosy-pink petals that give a truly unique look to this selection. Purple coneflower is extremely drought-tolerant, although it does favor improved garden conditions. Plant a drift, sit back with drink in hand, and wait for the butterflies! (Zone 3-9)

Echinacea purpurea ‘Kim’s Mop Head’ PP 13,560: We are delighted to be able to offer the wonderful white flowered companion to Echinacea ‘Kim’s Knee High’. This mutation of Echinacea ‘Kim’s Knee High’, discovered at Sunny Border Nursery in Connecticut, has the same wonderful compact habit with perfectly symmetrical downward arching heads of fringed-white petals…what a great garden plant. Echinacea ‘Kim’s Mop Head’ looks great when planted in a mass in a flower bed or border. (Zone 3-9)

Echinacea purpurea ‘Kim’s Red Knee High’ PP 20,411: A mutation of Echinacea ‘Kim’s Knee High’, discovered at Connecticut’s Sunny Border Nursery in 2005. Echinacea ‘Kim’s Red Knee High’ has the same vigorous growth, short habit and attractively reflexed petals of its parent. The name red, however, is problematic…another example of male color-blindness and why you never ask men to describe a color. The color is actually a richer, darker pink than the parent, but nothing close to red. (Zone 4-9)

Although they are not the latest and greatest cultivars, Echinacea purpurea cultivars are still the best.

Gardening With Alice Mcgowan

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One of the problems we all face in spring is that we eventually must limit what we can grow”‘”perhaps nowhere is this worse than inside greenhouses, where the space is confined by four walls. Seedlings have a shocking way of increasing exponentially in their needs–that tiny handful of seeds sprouts into a modest seed flat, then move in a fairly orderly fashion into small cells– but all of a sudden– once plants are ready to move into larger pots, space can disappear fast. And when they go outdoors, you may face new space constraints. So, let”‘””s take a look at some of the new space-conscious vegetable introductions available this spring.

Carrot “‘Round Romeo”‘”” forms petite, spherical roots that don”‘””t require deeply cultivated soil “‘”making them great for containers. Don”‘””t forget that root-crops like carrots and radishes are fun to plant with children; they love harvesting them!

Chard “‘Pot of Gold”‘”” Swiss chard has undergone some amazing transformations lately. Featuring lovely bright colors, many are deliciously mild in flavor too. This one stays compact; an excellent candidate for window boxes and smaller gardens, and its plentiful gold-stemmed leaves provide healthy, delicious eating late into fall.

Cucumber “‘Bush Slicer”‘”” bears 6-8″‘ long cucumbers in 55 days on disease resistant, dwarf bushes perfectly sized for small spaces and containers. If you”‘””re really cramped for space, consider growing cucumbers or tomatoes in the Topsy Turvy Upside-Down Planter,”‘ available from the National Gardening Association. (www.garden.org)

Eggplant “‘Little Prince”‘”” I grew this eggplant in large pots last year, and was completely charmed. An attractive, relatively compact plant with handsome felted leaves and lavender flowers, its abundant 4″‘ eggplants are a perfect size to split in half and throw on the grill.

Lettuce “‘Garden Babies”‘”” is a butterhead lettuce that forms cute little heads of tender green leaves, making them ideal for containers.

Scallion “‘Delicious Duo”‘”” combines two different scallion varieties, one purple and one green. In a small amount of space”‘”how about a window box?”‘”you can grow scallions to enjoy all summer, thinning as you harvest.

Tomato “‘Tomaccio”‘”” is an exciting new introduction I”‘””m trying in my sunniest window. Its being advertised as early-fruiting, with exceptionally sweet, cherry size tomatoes bred specifically for drying; harvest whole stems and just hand them up to dry ( inside your Hartley Botanic house would be ideal).

And don”‘””t forget that edible flowers, like nasturtiums, and culinary herbs, such as parsley, basil, and thyme can be tucked into small spaces around your vegetables. Just make sure to give them plenty of sun.

What Exactly Is A Wooden Overlap Shed

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Wooden overlap sheds feature what is undoubtedly one of the most popular construction styles for garden buildings, in which the external planking is laid in such a way that each piece of timber overlaps its neighbour; hence the name wooden overlap shed. Apart from giving the building its distinctive rugged appearance, this method of construction enables rainfall to drip off the edge of each individual piece of planking, which does help to give the timber overlap shed enhanced weather protection and therefore a longer life. Even so, it is still a good idea to periodically maintain all timber overlap sheds by applying a new protective coat of paint, sealant or varnish every few years.

The popularity of this construction method means that virtually very manufacturer offers a range of timber overlap sheds so its important when considering the purchase of any wooden overlap sheds that you first undertake a little homework in order to more properly evaluate your actual needs; and to ensure that when you actually purchase your timber overlap shed you will be getting the best possible blend of versatility, practicality and of course, value for money. Construction methods vary amongst different manufacturers but in particular, it pays to look for a robust timber framework upon which the individual cladding planks are firmly fixed. Usually in a modern wooden overlap shed this will be by metal fixings or staples that are inserted with a high pressure tool. In some cases other manufacturers will use screws or nails but overall you need to look for stout, rigid construction of the frame and cladding.

Remember too that with a wooden overlap shed, the overlapping planks mean that the incorporation of doors and windows is more complicated than would be the case with a flat external wall. This is because timber overlap sheds need suitable framing to be built in to the structure in order to ensure proper sealing, a good watertight fit and adequate drainage around any openings. In most other respects however, a wooden overlap shed is broadly similar to a flat walled design so there are no real differences in the construction of the roof or floor. Once installed in your garden, its worth paying attention to careful and regular maintenance by applying a new coat of paint, varnish or sealant in accordance with the manufacturers instructions to ensure that your timber overlap shed enjoys a longer working life.

Another useful tip to remember when choosing a timber overlap shed is that the very nature of the construction technique means that there are effectively no flat interior surfaces. The result of this is that any internal shelving, rails, brackets or other features will need to be secured to the frame itself so stout construction is a must for all wooden overlap sheds because all the weight of items stored on the shelves or hung from the rails or brackets must be carried by the framework of your timber overlap shed.

Mens Leather Belts And What You Should Know Before You Buy

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Trousers, jeans, chinos and even smart shorts all look better with a belt. Somehow, empty belt loops just dont look right. So, adding a smart belt completes the image? Not for long

Todays modern belts are often made of different and usually man-made layers glued together. The technical term is bonded leather.

But it says real leather on the belt! Yes, some belts do have the words real leather (or the leather symbol) stamped on the inside. So that layer might well be real leather. But what about the other bits?

After a period of time, the other bits make their appearance. The glue that kept them together starts to fail. The belt splits into layers as body heat, tension and pressure do their work. Examine the pieces closely and you may find a thin layer of cloth or webbing, a strip of padding and maybe a vinyl top layer.

Shoes and other footwear have symbols to explain their construction a leather upper, man-made sole etc. Unfortunately, without this same information on a belt, when the words real leather are seen the assumption is that the whole thing is leather. The manufacturers of this type of poorly labelled belt are doing nothing to set the record straight. Shame on them.

So, apart from the passing off of a belt as all leather, shouldnt it be ok to wear?

Well, man-made materials should be long lasting, so how long do these belts last? A few months? A year? More? Well that depends on the use they get. Anecdotal evidence varies. Cost is not a factor either. Unless the belt is made of semi-precious metal or stones, its the brand that pushes the price right up, not the raw materials.

Where do they break? At the pressure points. Where the prong fits through the strap. Theres a lot of tension on that little metal stick and the belt area near it. The other main failure point is round the back where the belt pulls against the belt loops when the wearer sits down.

At some point some of these bonded belts are no longer the smart accessory as theyve begun to disintegrate. Maybe not all belts and maybe not all the time, but enough for those who know to be a bit more careful when they are buying their next belt.

So whats the alternative?

Solid leather. Rather than split, it will give. Being solid leather it cant break into layers, it stays in one piece. (Unless you let the dog chew on it). After years of wear, when it gets a bit tired, it can be relegated to second best and worn during diy jobs or when gardening or working on the car, rather than thrown in the bin. These long lasting belts are often handmade in tourist and craft areas and maybe expertly tooled with patterns or images (native American Indian craftwork, for example). An overly busy pattern might not be right for formal wear, so a plainer finish is probably more appropriate.

So how do you tell what a belt is made of?

At the buckle end of the belt, look for the cut edge. Examine the cross-section and it will be obvious. Multiple layers of different shades and thicknesses give the game away. If the cut edge has been sealed then again it is probably man-made.

Ultimately of course it is a matter of personal choice. Buy mens leather belts or buy bonded belts. Either will look great in the shop. Just take care to see what the belt is made of and think of the use the belt is going to be put to (infrequent or every day, formal or informal). Then make that informed decision.

Benefits Of Aeroponics As An Indoor Gardening System

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Being from the similar background of soil-free rearing of plants, Aeroponics takes one step further by eliminating the need for any medium whatsoever. Aeroponics system often consists of plants supported on channels with their roots dangling midair for the whole time.

So, when in hydroponics, the nutrients are supplied to the plants thorough water acting as a reservoir, Aeroponics just takes out the middleman entirely. The nutrients are directly sprayed onto the roots of the growing plants dangling in form of an atomized mist sprayed with much high pressure.

So, here well discuss the benefits of employing the aeroponics system for gardening, by citing the some basic differences that separate the same from the conventional hydroponics.

Better Results

As the plant roots directly receive the nutrients in atomized form, the uptake for the same certainly is faster. Also, since every spray of nutrients is separated with intermittent time gap, the oxygen intake of the plants is much more. This not only accelerates the growth of the plants, the roots even spread out seeking more air and speeding the vegetative growth altogether.

Aeroponics is the most advanced method of farming, which takes the whole accountability to every input idea to a entirely new level. As with the absence of any growth medium and thus resultant spatial availability issues , the plant are no more deprived from any amount of nutrients and oxygen.

Efficient Resource Management

Three crucial factors are to be considered here. Water, nutrients and air, these are the factors which were primarily targeted in the first place with the advent of aeroponics.
No system of any kind in modern farming provides such efficient use of water. As the nutrients solution is directly sprayed on to the roots, the water requirement is much less. This is in lieu of fact that water is no longer acting as the medium, but instead as to transmit the nutrients to the roots directly. Thus the total water requirement can be maintained up to 1/20th of the amount that is used in conventional methods.

With no medium to dilute the possibility of uptake by roots, the nutrients requirement in an aeroponics system can be tuned much more closely. As the maximum amount of nutrient supplies taken by roots, the total nutrients input in the system decreases even further. Nutrients are can be now supplied evenly throughout the crop, thus eliminating the randomized effect that a growth medium has in this respect.

In hydroponics or any other method, the supply of air is managed thought the medium itself, which in turn leads to uneven distribution. So, now we have dangling roots in constant supply of air i.e. oxygen and CO2, making the equipments such as aerators more or less redundant.

Economical
Aeroponics systems are generally built with few commonly found or even recycled materials. A readymade setup is also available if one is looking for an aesthetically pleasant structure. Tubes, buckets are often used in a modular structure to build an efficient system.
Money is also saved in maintenance of the system with a nutrients solution of 700-900 ppm is found to be quite adequate for a typical scenario. A simple water pump giving out 60 psi worth of pressure can be used to provide the required atomized mist.

Disease-Free Conditions
With a constant supply of fresh air and absence of a medium which may act as a shelter, pathogens are less of a problem in any aeroponics system. Not only the excess oxygen keeps the anaerobic bacteria at bay, removal of affected plant part is much easier.

Mobility
An aeroponics system offers a certain ease when it comes to moving the entire crop from one place to another.

Changes in the Regimen
Any kind of change in the nutrient input is much economical if not easier, as the plants do not need to be flushed altogether. This gives a grower certain freedom so as to manage the crop more efficiently.

The benefits which are listed above presents a better scenario for any grower in order to procure the maximum yield with best of the quality.

Want to know more on Aeroponics System or need some expert tips just log on to http://www.advancednutrients.com/hydroponics/articles/hydroponics-gardening/aeroponics-and-NASA.php

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